Discovery
by reality deviant
Summary: What if Danny Hebert met a woman after the attack of the Endbringer? Will Taylor get her identity exposed? Will the two women in the Hebert patriarch life menage to coexsist?
1. Danny 1

Danny felt so very lost when Taylor left to live just outside town after the Leviathan attack.

The reconstruction works he presided over with the dockworkers returned some semblance of normalcy back, but it was still hard.  
Until he met a woman named Hannah, who admitted to working at the PRT. She was instrumental in helping him cope with his wife's death, and the estrangement of his little princess..

they talked about different things as they worked to coordinate the rebuilding.

Both were very surprised, as when she agreed to join him for dinner at his home, weeks later, they heard a sound from the other room, the one that used to be Taylor's.

In there to their shock they found Her.

Taylor was looking for something and in the process of pulling an Alexandria lunchbox, wearing a strange, figure fitting black material.  
Upon seeing them she was surprised enough that she dropped the box, which opened, containing money, organized into stacks...  
And his kid- saying in an unconvincing tone: "This isn't what it looks like?!"


	2. Hannah 1

Hannah was very surprised to see the daughter Danny mentioned.

She was even more surprised by meeting her in that position, with what looked like a stash of gang money.

Especially in those clothes, they were very familiar, and made her confuse the girl with Skitter in that light.

The girl's exclamation didn't help matters any.

As Taylor sat, explaining, in a vaguely familiar voice that she thought her father was yet to return, and wanted to take some stuff from her room, Hannah focused on the girl herself.

A tall, long haired figure with no curves. Clothes in a surprisingly good condition. What her experienced eyes recognized as a recently dislocated, maybe farther damaged shoulder and a pair of intelligent, weary eyes that reminded her of her childhood, before America.

The knife in her belt didn't help the image any.

The following dinner was somewhat awkward, showing the father and daughter had a somewhat strained relationship.

Just before Taylor was about to leave, When Dan asked her to come tomorrow, she agreed, before walking away, very familiar looking from the back.


	3. Taylor 1

When Taylor came for breakfast, she was surprised to note that Hannah was there, having taken a day off.

Asking a day off from what brought that apparently she worked in the local PRT branch. A notion which brought Taylor's thought process to a screeching halt and a mental repeating of 'fuck'.

The breakfast itself was of a lesser quality than what she was used to in her Lair, and it made her feel somewhat guilty for being spoilt by Charlotte cooking for her while people had to suffer here. She resolved to see about helping those outside her territory somehow as well. And make sure her Dad will get supplies too. Maybe she could recruit Kurt? Or another of her dad's friends?

As they ate and Hannah asked about school, she told that it was still out due to gangs, a fact that had the Woman looking doubtful. Further prodding had her spilling that she was working in the boardwalk, to her Parent's displeasure. It led to a discussion about the insufficient help from the heroes, the issue of whether they have regrettable ulterior motive for their assistance, at which point That woman claimed that if they were so good, they should have join PRT-and got response from Taylor that it would tie them in bureaucracy and politics and appearances to the point that looking heroic and opposing villains would be more important than helping, none of the adults seemed pleased by that argument. Hannah refused to specify what she did for the PRT when asked.

Afterwards, Hannah wanted to talk with her, and asked if she really thought so about the protectorate-which led to a rent about holding back resources, powers and help. About refusal to compromise when there was no time to be stubborn, about directors that seemed to treat is as a war on the villains and heroes doing plenty of bad things being protected by PRT. And that the Undersiders keep peace where there is enforced law and supply people, rebuild.


	4. Danny 2

Discovery 1.4

Danny was used to seeing thugs, from his work with dockworkers and the Union, there were members that took drugs, drank, and joined the city gangs…

Yet still, he was for some reason very surprised to discover Skitter at the site he worked at, and she looked as intimidating as rumored, her yellow eyes seeming inhuman and posture unmoving. She with some people in hazmat suits, and a truck full of what was apparently supplies.

The strange sense of familiarity from the supervillain's voice was brushed aside, it could be any woman he heard talking before.

She claimed that she was there to help, as by restoring that place, by rebuilding the Undersiders' territories, they were helping her, and she was rewarding their services, helping back, appreciating them.

One of the workers yelled that they don't work for criminals.

She exclaimed that it didn't mean she couldn't offer to ease their burden, and that this is not claim of territory and people, and she won't demand they work for her, even though she treats her people well, as they will discover, should they come to her territory and see, and invited them to do so.

She farther elaborated that she was now bringing them supplies and food, and asking for nothing.

The people in hazmat suits started to unload boxes, and as people came, they received cans of food, he later heard that it wasn't the survival supplies she distributed in her territory, but people still got canned goods they couldn't get in the city easily otherwise… pickled vegetables, some very appreciated coffee, benzene burners were given to some families that Danny knew had no viable cooking devices at their current habitats, and couple water purifying kits for communal use-which surprised him that she knew, and scared him-at the thought of what else she might know, and how.

When she left, in a big show of an enormous insect swarm, he talked about this with Kurt, who was as surprised as him, and pondered, at the price that will surely follow the boon granted.

When he returned home, he discovered in the kitchen a small swarm, shaped like an arrow, which led him to the kitchen table, where a basket with some fresh fruit and meat products-I forgot the taste of sausages, coffee and surprisingly tea- a brand his daughter liked and a get well note, printed, with a beetle picture.

He later discovered Kurt, got similar package, with an invitation.

He learned other friends got recruitment offers.

He wandered what was the nature of Taylor's work, and of her employer. Danny resolved to discuss it at his earliest chance. He just hoped his fears were unfounded, that his kid didn't got mixed in that crowd, even though he had a terrible feeling in his gut that he knew the unpleasant answer to that.


	5. Hannah 2

Discovery 1.5

Hannah had not seen Taylor at all for the next few days. Both as she volunteered to patrol the boardwalk when she was working to keep a professional eye on Skitter, and when she was visiting Danny in her off time.

That and the somewhat tame silence from Skitter had her worried that-

The phone rang.

A call from an old friend distracted her.

The next call was from the PRT, and not nearly as friendly.

When she finally saw Skitter that day, it was with the rest of the Undersiders, as well as others, and under most distressing of circumstances.

The Slaughter House Nine was in town-and recruiting!

The meeting didn't go very well. Hookwolf's remark about Undersiders and Travellers taking over the city was quite the unpleasant surprise. From there it only got worse and her attempts to negotiate a compromise to focus on the bigger problem-namely the nine-failed spectacularly.

After the Travellers and Undersiders were exiled from the meeting it did NOT get much better, as between Hookwolf, Purity and Skidmarks they failed to agree on any plan of action and only, barely, agreed to call if they get any lead to the location of Jack Slash and the rest of his group.

Soon after she finished her report to the director she ran to her car hoping to reach her destination before Shatterbird unleashed her power and made her destructive call.

She was glad she dispersed the adult heroes who accompanied her to warn hospitals and other centers of community.

As the PRT was dispatched to help and her powers wouldn't be of much help in the direct SAR operations (or at least that was what she told herself) she hurried to Danny- to check if he was alive, she didn't want to lose him even though she only recently met him. People showed true colors in times of distress, and his organization of the workers into a community that supported itself and worked to restore the city during this time impressed her.

She hardly noticed anything as she drove to his house, unaware if there were any attempts to communicate with her as she sped through the city, having glass explode all around her as she was about to reach her target.

As she entered and started checking the rooms, hoping to find Danny still alive, she found a familiar mask, one that she saw just earlier that night. Alarmed despite her previous suspicions, Hannah called on her power to take the form of a gun, and hurried upstairs, where she encountered the object of her search.

A mostly uninjured Taylor Hebert, supporting her clearly seriously wounded father, wearing a tank top, with a long sleeved gray shirt tied around her waist and the leggings that were on Skitter. Surprise and panic in her eyes as she took in the form before her.

Just then Hannah remembered that she was still wearing her Cape uniform.


	6. Taylor 2

Discovery 1.6

Taylor was expecting the Nine to have followed her here, maybe an ambulance sent as a part of SAR or her teammates. But she could not have expected the surprising sight that was standing before her now.

Miss Militia, gun drawn, a strange look in her eyes.

Uncertain, checking and finding no one else nearby, Taylor took a deep breath, and hoping to have left no evidence as to her masked identity wearily asked:

"Can you please lower the gun? He needs medical help. Please!"

The Heroine seemed to hesitate a moment, before green light transformed the gun into a knife –and the blade was swiftly sheathed.

"Let me help you", the arrival told, and proceeded to help her get Danny down the stairs, in movements clearly experienced in carrying wounded people.

"Not that I'm not glad for the help, but what are you doing here?" The girl finally asked the question that bugged her.

Whatever answer was about to be said, Taylor didn't know; as just at that moment, they finished descending down the stairs, where two men in paramedic uniform just entered.

They looked alarmed to see Miss Militia, but quickly hid their nerves and after introducing themselves as paramedics sent to help the wounded, and one sent a look to Taylor that had her asking one of them to replace her as she hurried to dad's bedroom to pick up some thinks and the other to accompany her.

Once they got back upstairs, and Taylor spied her dad carefully being led outside by both the other man and The Gun Toting Cape, she turned to the man in the room with her, and stealthily preparing the insects she had been gathering, asked him who sent them.

"It's your teammates, ma'am, they sent us here to help, here, you shouldn't have this on the floor," And gave her the previously discarded mask. "I found it downstairs in the hall; I think you should take a better care of it."

Taylor wanted to have the paramedics keep silent about her wounded dad, and the encounter with the Protectoratee, but reconsidered due to the chances of Coil learning of Miss Militia here due to his spies in the PRT and amended her orders. "Don't tell Coil about the degree of harm done to my father-or I WILL find you.

Quickly picking and packing ID and clothes for her father, she opened the drawer containing her mother's necklace, and hurried to Danny-who was already in the car. She gave the paramedic already inside the bag, and then after confirming that Danny was okay without her going with him, that it was fine for her to remain behind, and all will be well, she put the necklace in her Father's hand. "I'm sorry I can't go with you, Dad, but you will be taken care of well, here, to remind you of home and family during the VERY SHORT time it will take you to recover.

It was only later that Taylor realized that she didn't notice Miss Militia at first, nor tagged-tracked her later due to a preexisting insect placed for tracking purpose before… one she put on her Dad's new 'Friend' –Miss Hannah…

/****************\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

* * *

OMAKE- False discovery 1

Taylor felt like she had a headache just as bad as the one she had when she got a concussion from the bomb courtesy of Bakuda.

this was a nightmare, it was probably the late munching on some of the pizza that the orphans at her lair had for dinner before. Yes that must have been it!

There was no other logical explanation for what was happening otherwise, unless Murphy REALLY had it in for her.

It was like her life was some sort of a game, and some nasty nasty DM went for the most ridiculous ways to mess with her!

She pinched her self, and even had one of the ants around her bite her to make sure- AND TO NO EFFECT!

looking from the eyes of her insects only confirmed the sight, making it worse with the extra information their senses gave her.

It really was so.

She was standing in her living room, in her costume, with her mask in hand and a cloud of bugs around her, as on the couch i am never sitting on it ever again! were the unmistakably nude forms of - why god, why?! *SHUDDER, her father, and the woman Hannah, who was visiting more and more lately.

The surprised weary look on Hannah was not the worse... No it was the gun that appeared in her hand, in a familiar green glow, that brought to mind the source of the woman's familiarity, the reason her eyes seemed so familiar, especially at that moment.

* * *

This was my first draft at exposure scene, but was swiftly rejected by my critics and my inability to properly insert it, story wise.


End file.
